316 TABLE EQUIPMENT

Functionalism. A thought that must be ever present in the
selection of table appointments is that, since they are not to be
hung on the wall to be observed, but are to be used for eating,
they must not be chosen for their beauty alone. When selecting
dishes and glassware one should imagine them full of food. Only
dishes that can be handled comfortably should be considered.
Some of the most common violations of functionalism are: dishes
with handles too small to hold firmly, pitchers that do not pour
well, top-heavy glasses that upset readily, plates with centers too
small or too shallow for the food, and silverware uncomfortable
to hold. In searching for table appointments the aim should be
to find articles that function perfectly and also please the eye so
that their use is conducive to complete satisfaction.

Structural Design. A table and all its appointments should be
considered a design in three dimensions. The table itself should
have fine, simple, structural, and functional design, agreeing with
the dining room in shape and scale. It is usually acknowledged
that individual units of a table setting look better on a square or an
oblong table, but that a round one is more easily served. On a
round table, all the flat silverware may be pointed toward the
center of the table. Circular or semicircular mats or doilies are
best on a round table; rectangular mats agree with the lines of a
square or oblong table.

Ornamentation, In exhibitions of table settings in the most
progressive parts of the United States the trend is away from
decorated table equipment. See page 334. Most trained designers
consider that any assemblage of the appointments necessary for a
meal, not forgetting the flowers and food, provides sufficient line
and form without the introduction of surface patterns.

Those who desire surface decoration, or those who already
possess decorated appointments, should be guided by that art prin-
ciple which imposes restraint in emphasis. If patterns are used on
chinaware, or silverware, or glassware, or table covers, that part
is necessarily featured, and all other accompanying equipment may
well be entirely plain. Esthetic confusion results from combining
a variety of decorative styles, such as a Victorian rose design in
the damask, a Neo-CIassic pattern on the silverware, a Modern
motif on the glasses, and a Colonial design on the dishes.